Hyundai Rotem's K2 battle tank wins NATO certification
SEOUL, July 14 (UPI) -- South Korea's Hyundai Rotem said Tuesday its K2 main battle tank received a key quality assurance certification from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.
The defense company said it became the first South Korean company to win the NATO certification, called AQAP-2110, from the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, or DTaQ.
The certification includes the K2 main battle tank and its family of armored vehicles, including recovery, bridge-laying and mine-clearing variants, the company said.
The affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group also was the first company to be certified by South Korea's state-backed DTaQ, which obtained official accreditation early last year as a certification body for NATO's quality assurance system.
AQAP-2110, short for Allied Quality Assurance Publication-2110, is NATO's quality assurance standard for defense procurement programs. Hyundai Rotem expected that the internationally recognized certification would strengthen its presence in Europe.
The corporation has already exported K2 tanks to Poland, a NATO member, after signing a framework agreement in 2022 to supply up to 1,000 tanks as part of the European country's military modernization initiative.
Under the first contract, all 180 South Korean-made K2 tanks have already been delivered, while the supply under a second contract for another 180 tanks has started.
Hyundai Rotem said that AQAP-2110 will also enhance its competitiveness in export markets across the Middle East and Latin America.
"By placing quality above all else, we have fully met the NATO quality assurance requirements and achieved the milestone of becoming the first South Korean company to obtain AQAP-2110 certification," Hyundai Rotem said in a statement.
"Building on this certification, we will do our utmost to beef up the defense industry ecosystem and elevate the global standing of South Korea's defense industry.".
The share price of Hyundai Rotem fell 2.71% on the Seoul bourse Tuesday, while the benchmark KOSPI edged up 0.73%.
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This story was originally published July 14, 2026 at 9:14 AM.